Cellphone Ban in Austin (insurance, how much, safety)

[CarnivalGal]

Like I said, I am all for the ban - while driving. But no one can explain to me how me switching songs on my phone while stopped at a red light, is dangerous. I'm not moving. I am in my 40s and have never really grown that attached to my phone. But I do use it to listen to music in the car. BTW, it's still OK to do this on an iPod, just not a phone.

And "distracted driving" is already illegal, so people are not supposed to put on make-up etc. The reason phone are being addressed is because they are responsible for A LOT more accidents than make-up or eating. Texting and driving kills more people than drinking and driving.

I will also add that my husband's car, which is pretty new (newer than mine), has all of the controls on a touch screen - radio, a/c, etc. I think that is every bit as dangerous as a phone. You can't just feel the radio buttons like I do in my car, you have to actually take your eyes off the road to look at the screen. I'm surprised this hasn't been addressed with car manufacturers.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by scm53

Please find where anything was said about holding anything in your hand. I will wait patiently while you do.

Some people here are achieving Olympic records at jumping to conclusions.

Dude...

[scm53]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Dude...

Says the chief conclusion jumper ..

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Dude...

And I think of him as a smart guy.

[scm53]

The commission had considered allowing the use of cellphones while stopped at stop lights or in traffic jams to remain legal. But on Monday, commissioners voted to recommend stricter rules that would ban cellphone use in those circumstances, too, with commissioner Kent Anschutz leading most of the discussion.

“A lot of people get most enraged getting stuck behind some fool on a cellphone,” Anschutz said.

Boy, there's a great basis for law. People's emotional overreaction to something that has zero effect on them.

Pretty sure that overreaction wouldn't be found in any of the good folks here.

[Spacepup]

Originally Posted by mm57553

Like I said, I am all for the ban - while driving. But no one can explain to me how me switching songs on my phone while stopped at a red light, is dangerous. I'm not moving. I am in my 40s and have never really grown that attached to my phone. But I do use it to listen to music in the car. BTW, it's still OK to do this on an iPod, just not a phone.

I've repeatedly come within feet of being hit (and killed) by people hanging out in the left turn lane at a light fiddling with their phone. Each time they were distracted and not paying attention then gunned it when they saw the light had been green who who knows how long and their brief glance didn't see little old me on my bike because they hadn't been taking stock of their surroundings like someone who wasn't enthralled with their glowing rectangle would have so they didn't see me pull up to the intersection across from them. It is a common enough occurrence that I have both hands on the brake levers when I see someone in the left turn lane and I'm going straight. I've seen people do the same when they are going straight and catch the green light of the left hand turn signal or the movement of cars in the turn lane out of the corner of their eye. I've been cut off and pulled out in front of from stop signs as well.

So there's some examples of how it is dangerous. When the ignition is on and the gear is engaged you are in control of a 3000-4000 lb machine which can in an instant kill and maim. Pull over, park, and mess with your playlist there.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Idlewile

And I think of him as a smart guy.

Here's the part you are all overlooking in the rush to enact something, anything. The short article says "handheld devices, including cellphones". So, if you have your handheld nav system in a mount on your dash, or on your windshield, that is a handheld device, even if it isn't in your hand. And yes - changing the scale on that is no different than changing your radio, or changing your a/c temp.

[Spacepup]

Originally Posted by scm53

Here's the part you are all overlooking in the rush to enact something, anything. The short article says "handheld devices, including cellphones". So, if you have your handheld nav system in a mount on your dash, or on your windshield, that is a handheld device, even if it isn't in your hand. And yes - changing the scale on that is no different than changing your radio, or changing your a/c temp.

Except it is: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets standards for driver distraction and operability for built-in systems but does not (yet) do so for dash mounted GPS or smartphone apps.

[graygray]

I would like the city council to pass the law to ban any vehicle carrying more than one person. I feel very unsafe when people are having conversations while driving, which is really distracting. I was once almost hit by a car coming from the ramp, and the driver was talking to people in the car with his head turned back. Here, people are required to make eye-contact during communication. Consider how destructive that is!

[mickey65]

Gee, I guess no one can remember the good old days when one didn't need to talk on the phone and drive at the same time.

I miss the days when cell phones didn't exist. A lot of people have become zombies because of them. No one looks up at the world around them anymore - just down at the phone in the palm of their hand.